Page:The healing art in its historic and prophetic aspects - the Harveian oration delivered before the Royal College of Physicians, Oct. 19, 1885 (IA b21908199).pdf/13

 present period. Reflecting on these admirable discourses, I felt that it would be impossible for me to retraverse such familiar ground, otherwise than at the risk of reminding many of my audience how often they had already heard the same story, related in a more eloquent and a more impressive form. a subject.

Meditating, then, on the subject on which I should Choice of address you to-day, I remembered that I should have before me the portrait of our great predecessor, who might for a moment be assumed to animate the picture, and to be pre- pared to listen to what I had to say. And venturing then to ask myself what the founder of this Oration would most de- sire to hear, it seemed to me that he would say-as might be anticipated from a character so unassuming, so simple, so opposed to ostentation and display-Of myself I have heard much I appreciate the honour, the esteem, and the regard entertained for me by my successors. My work las accomplished all that I could have hoped for or desired. Tell me, then, if you can, something of the profession which I love so well.' out the secrets of

Anxious to fulfil this unselfish and disinterested wish, and remembering that Harvey had assigned to the Har- veian Orator the duty of encouraging his fellows to search To scarc out the secrets of nature, it occurred to me that there are two of these secrets which, though not strictly of the kind nature. to which our benefactor's words were intended to apply, are yet of sufficient interest and importance to justify me in asking your attention to them for a brief time to-day.

The first of these secrets has reference to the past: Why is it that amongst a vast number of persons, alike in ancient and in modern times, medicine has not enjoyed that high estimate of its value, as an art and as a science, to which it is justly entitled? The other problem requires the exercise of the prophetic spirit; since I seek to ascer- tain whether we have any grounds for anticipating a more Why is medicine depre- ciated?